Snubbed bolster truck



y 1951 G. J. CHRISTENSON 2,550,910

SNUBBED BOLSTER TRUCK Filed April 28. 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l I 9, v 1 4 aJ 4% @WWM G. J. CHRISTENSON SNUBBED BOLSTER TRUCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tj JMay 1, 1951 Filed April 28, 1945 Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE SNUBBED BOLSTER TRUCK Gust J. Christensen, Chicago, Ill.Application April 28, 1945, Serial No. 590,777 7 Claims. (01.:105-19'7)This invention relates to improvements in car trucks and it consists ofthe matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide simple,inexpensive and efilcient means in a car truck to prevent the naturalharmonic action of the bolster springs and to stabilize the .movement ofthe bolster relative to the side frames of the truck.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement offriction shoes in the sides of the bolster ends in line with the columnsof the side frames of the truck and whereby said shoes are urged into abetter frictional stabilizing engagement with said columns.

Also, it is an object of the invention to so form the bolster ends andfriction shoes, that the shoes may be more readily applied to theassociated bolster end and are removably held therein without thenecessity of extraneous fastening devices.

Again it is an object of the invention to so form the friction shoes andassociated actuating wedge that the energizing spring for said wedge mayrest on the same base as the bolster end cushioning or load carryingsprings.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide in aconstruction of this kind, an improved spring means having moredeflection than the load carrying springs and which will maintain thefriction shoes in'better frictional engagement with the associatedcolumns at all times and will automatically take up the wear on saidshoes.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others, alongwith the advantages thereof will more fully appear as the specificationproceeds.

' In the drawing:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of a portion of a car truck embodyingone form of the invention, with a part of a side frame of the truckappearing in elevation and a part of the associated bolster end andshoes appearing in transverse vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal detail sectional view through parts shown in Fig.1 as taken on the line 2-2 and on a scale somewhat enlarged over Fig. 1,portions appearing as broken away for better illustrative purposes.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of a pair of counterpart frictionshoes forming a part of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view'of a certain friction shoe actuating wedgeembodied in the invention and which will be more fully referred tolater.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified formof the invention, and which will be referred to later.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustratedin Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive of the accompanying drawings It indicates thecentral portion of the side frame of a car truck and in which is abolster opening H defined at each side by a column l2l2. On the innerfaces of the upper portion of said columns are upright straight fiatparallel wear plates l3--I3 which may be secured to said columns in anyconventional manner,

l4 indicates an end portion of a bolster arranged in said opening I Ibetween the wear plates 13-13. Said bolster end portion, which is of arectangular cross section, is provided at opposite sides withlongitudinally spaced vertical ribs i5l5 (see Fig. 2) adapted forengagement by associated parts of the columns l2-l2 to provide a guidedengagement for the bolster end portion relative to said columns, therebeing the usual clearance therebetween.

As herein shown, the bolster end portion is of a hollow construction andis provided in opposite sides, in line with the wear plates l3-I3, withinwardly extending channels Hil6 that communicate at their inner endswith a central chamber I! in the bolster end portion l4. Each channel itis somewhat narrower than the wear plates l3l3 as best appears in Fig. 2and is provided with a pair of top and bottom downwardly and inwardlyinclined surfaces l3 and Na. As shown, said surfaces of each pair areparallel, with the upper surface 18 having a greater length than thelower surface ma. The surface I8a, in this instance, forms the top of abridge 19 that is an integral part of the bolster end portion l4.

The bolster end portion I l engages upon and is supported by the usualset of cushioning springs 2020 which rest at their bottom endsupon alower spring plate 2! carried by a widened flanged part 22 of the frameI!) at the bottom of the bolster opening ll. Asshown, these springs arearranged in a group of four, as is obvious from Fig. 2 and are spacedapart both laterally and longitudinally of the bolster end portion toleave a considerable open area between them. Associated with eachchannel I6 is a stabilizing shoe 23 that best appears in perspective inFig. 3. Each shoe includes an upright outer end rectangular frictionplate 24 and a hollow body portion 25 that is inclined downwardly fromthe upper portion of the end plate. The body of each shoe is of a hollowrectangular cross section to fit within an associated channel It in thebolster end portion and has a length greater than that of the channel sothat its inner end surface 26 extends or is disposed within the chamberI! before mentioned.

The body 25 has top and bottom parallel surfaces 21 and 28 respectivelythat are complemental to the top and bottom surfaces I8 and "la of theassociated channel IS. The shoes are assembled into position from theouter ends of the channels I6 and are supported against dropping out ofplace by the bridges I 9I9 as is obvious from Fig. 1. Thus no bolts orthe like are required to hold the shoes in the channels Iii-l6. It is tobe understood thatsome play or clearance is present between theassociated surfaces of the channels [6 and shoes 23 respectively. Whensaid shoes are in place, the inner end surfaces 26-45 thereof, which mayb perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces 21 and 28 of the body,are disposed at oppositely upwardly and inwardly inclined planes, asbest appears in Fig. 1.

29 indicates a wedge block forming a part of the improved truck andwhich best appears in perspective in Fig. 4, This wedge block, which isnormally disposed within the chamber I1, is of a width approximatingthat of the shoes 2323 and has upwardly and inwardly inclined sidesurfaces lid-30 that are complemental to 32, the bottom end of whichnormally rests upon the plate 2|. This spring, which is disposedcentrally with respect to the roup of bolster end supporting springs282B normally urges the wedge block 29 upwardly and has a greater freeheight range of deflection than said springs 20-28.

As will be apparent, the parts described are duplicated at the otherside of the truck. Under travel conditions, the natural harmonic actionof the bolster end supporting springs is prevented by the action of theshoes 23-23 as follows: In the downward movement of the bolster end, theaction is to compress the supporting springs 20-20. However, in thismovement of said bol- While in describing the invention I have referredin detail to the form, construction and arrangement of the partsinvolved, the same is to be considered only in the illustrative sense sothat I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specificallyset forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a car truck, a side frame having a column at each side of abolster opening therein,

a bolster portion disposed in said opening between said columns, springmeans for supporting said bolster portion from the bottom of saidopening, means providing a downwardly facing surface extending inwardlyand downwardly from each side of said bolster portion, a shoe associatedwith each side of said bolster portion and having an outer partfrictionally engaged with an associated column and an upper surface partcomplementaI to and engaged with an associated downwardly and inwardlyextending surface in the bolster portion, and an upwardly and inwardlyinclined inner end surface, wedge means engaged with the inner endsurfaces of said shoes, and other spring acting means independently ofsaid first mentioned spring means operatively engaged with said wedgemeans for causing the same to urge said shoes outwardly toward saidcolumn.

2. In a car truck, a side frame having a column at each side of abolster opening therein, a bolster portion disposed in said openingbetween said columns, spring means for supporting said bolster portionfrom the bottom of said opening, said bolster portion being formed ateach side with a downwardly and inwardly extending channel, a shoeassociated with each channel and having an outer end part frictionallyengaged with an associated column and having a body portion havingspring means operatively engaged with a portion of the side frame andwith an inner end ster end, the surfaces l8l$a of the channels l-6l6,because of their inclination as described, will, through the inclinedsurfaces 21 and 28 of the shoes tend to move said shoes outwardly toforcefully urge the plates 24-44 thereof into a stabilizing frictionalengagement with the wear plates |3l3 on the frame columns. In thismovementv of the bolster, the wedge block 29 is urged upwardly by thespring 32 so that the action of this sprin in this respect is added tothat of the bolster end in forcing the shoes into stabilizing frictionalengagement with the wear plates I3I3 on the columns |2I2 and todamp theaction of the springs 20-28 to prevent cumulativev harmonic actionthereof- In Fig. 5 is illustrated a, modified form ofz'construction,more particularly concerned with the upper end of the spring 32. Asshown in said fig. the upper end of said spring may be made in the formof closely wound convolutions 32a that taper toward the extremitythereof with angles at opposite sides thereof conforming to and engagedwith the end surfaces 2626- of the bodies of the shoes 23-23. By makingthe spring 32 as described, it is possible to eliminate the wedge block29 andthis simplifies the constructionand reduces costthereof:

part of both shoes for urging them outwardly toward said columns.

3. In a. car truck, a side frame having a column at each side of abolster opening therein, a bolstenportion disposed in said openingbetween said columns, spring means for supporting said bolster portionfrom the bottom of said opening, said bolster portion being formed. ateach side with a downwardly and inwardly extending channel, a shoeassociated with each channel and having an outer end part frictionallyengaged with an associated column and having a part extending downwardlyand inwardlly therefrom and disposed in an associated channel, the innerend surfaces of said last mentioned parts of the shoes being directedupwardly and inwardly of said bolster portion, wedge means engaged withthe inner end surfaces of both shoes, and other spring means for urgingsaid wedge means. upwardly.

4. In a car'truck, a side frame having a column at each side of abolster opening therein, a bolster portion disposed in said openingbetween said columns, spring means for supporting said bolster portionfrom th bottom of said opening, said bolster portion being formed ineach side with a downwardly and inwardly inclined chan: nel and whichchannels open at their inner ends into a chamber in the bolster portionabove the bottom surface thereof, a shoe havinga portion complementalto'and arranged in each channel for cooperative sliding engagement witha top wall portion thereof, with the inner end of each shoe disposed insaid chamber, the outer end part of each shoe having a frictionalengagement with an associated column, a wedge member having at least apart disposed in said chamber and having opositely inclined surfacesengaged with the inner end surface of both shoes, and other spring meansacting upon said wedge means from below and normally urging the sameupwardly into engagement with the end surfaces of said shoes.

5. In a car truck, a side frame having a column at each side of abolster opening therein, a bolster portion disposed in said openingbetween said column, spring means for supporting said bolster portionfrom the bottom of said opening, means providing a downwardly facingsurface extending inwardly and downwardly from each side of said bolsterportion, a shoe associated with each side of said bolster portion andhaving an outer part frictionally engaged with an associated column andan upper surface part complemental to and engaged with an associateddownwardly and inwardly extending surface in the bolster portion and anupwardly and inwardly inclined inner end surface, and other spring meansacting independently of said first spring means and formed with integralwedge portions engaged with the inner end surfaces of said shoes forpressing the shoes outwardly toward said column.

6, In apparatus for stabilizing vertical movements of a railway cartruck bolster, a friction shoe comprising a vertical plate portionformed on one side with a smooth bearing face and formed on the otherside with a body portion extending downwardly at an angle to thevertical plate and formed with parallel upwardly and downwardly facingwalls, and formed at the lower end of the body with an end wall which isperpendicular to the planes of said parallel walls.

7. In apparatus for stabilizing vertical movements of a railway cartruck bolster, a truck bolster having an end portion formed with wallmeans defining a pair of channels of rectangular configuration in crosssection and extending downwardly and inwardly from opposite side wallsof the bolster and terminating at their lower ends at a location spacedfrom the plane of the bottom of the bolster.

GUST J. CHRISTENSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 972,921 Bitter Oct. 18, 19102,053,989 Goodwin Sept. 8, 1936 2,370,106 Edstrom Feb. 20, 19452,392,599 Light Jan. 8, 1946 2,395,317 Cottrell Feb. 19, 1946

